A Courageous 21 Year Old With 4th Amendment Written On His Chest Sues The TSA

Government photo of Aaron Tobey being held at Richmond International Airport on December 30

A 21-year-old Virginia man who wrote an abbreviated version of the Fourth Amendment on his body and stripped to his shorts at an airport security screening area is demanding $250,000 in damages for being detained on a disorderly conduct charge.

Aaron Tobey claims in a civil rights lawsuit (.pdf) that in December he was handcuffed and held for about 90 minutes by the Transportation Security Administration at the Richmond International Airport after he began removing his clothing to display on his chest a magic-marker protest of airport security measures.

“Amendment 4: The right of the people to be secure against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated,” his chest and gut read.

The University of Cincinnati student didn’t want to go through the advanced imaging technology X-ray machines that are cropping up at airports nationwide. Instead, when it was his turn to be screened, he was going to opt for an intrusive pat-down — and remove most of his clothing in the process.

Read Full Article Here: http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/03/4th-amendment-on-chest/

(Ya just have to love this kid for his ballsiness, woot!)

UPDATE!!

Man With 4th Amendment Written on Chest Wins Trial Over Airport Arrest

A Virginia man who wrote an abbreviated version of the Fourth Amendment on his body and stripped to his shorts at an airport security screening area won a trial Friday in his lawsuit seeking $250,000 in damages for being detained on a disorderly conduct charge.

Aaron Tobey claimed in a civil rights lawsuit (.pdf) that in 2010 he was handcuffed and held for about 90 minutes by the Transportation Security Administration at the Richmond International Airport after he began removing his clothing to display on his chest a magic-marker protest of airport security measures.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Lawrence Edward Calcutt on March 16, 2011 at 3:43pm

@ Tara

Re: "

(Ya just have to love this kid for his ballsiness, woot!)

Ya, Tara, if a half a dozen more brave young men and a few gals too, would stand up and be counted we might just beat down the TSA a peg ot two.

America should be proud of this young fellow, I am.

It would serve them right over at TAS if he won the settlement he has asked for.

Larry

Permalink Reply by Nikki on March 16, 2011 at 4:51pm

Wouldn't it be great if everyone did this? Way to go, Aaron. But frustratingly you see from the comments in the link there's still those who think the TSA is keeping them safe and that Aaron is an idiot.

Permalink Reply by Tara on March 16, 2011 at 5:24pm

Yes it would be great Nikki! We need many more good men and women to step up to the plate and do the same as this ballsy young man did. We might truly see change occur if enough people demanded their rights by protesting in this fasion.

I too read the comments in the original article and was surprised that so many people still want to gullibly believe that the TSA is there to protect us and blindly welcome tyranny into their lives because they'd rather feel safe than live freely. They are the true idiots. The young man to me is a hero.

Permalink Reply by truth on August 30, 2011 at 3:24pm